Pros of wkhtmltopdf

• Standalone command-line tool, can be used independently of any programming language
• More direct control over PDF generation process
• Supports a wider range of HTML and CSS features for rendering

Cons of wkhtmltopdf

• Requires separate installation and management of the wkhtmltopdf binary
• Less integrated with PHP applications compared to Snappy
• May have more complex setup and configuration process

Code Comparison

wkhtmltopdf (command-line usage):

wkhtmltopdf http://example.com output.pdf

Snappy (PHP integration):

use Knp\Snappy\Pdf;

$snappy = new Pdf('/path/to/wkhtmltopdf');
$snappy->generateFromHtml('<h1>Hello World</h1>', 'output.pdf');

wkhtmltopdf is a standalone tool that can be used directly from the command line, offering more flexibility but requiring separate installation. Snappy, on the other hand, provides a PHP wrapper around wkhtmltopdf, making it easier to integrate into PHP applications but with potentially less direct control over the PDF generation process.

Pros of laravel-snappy

• Seamless integration with Laravel framework
• Provides Laravel-specific facades and configuration
• Easier to use within Laravel projects due to built-in service provider

Cons of laravel-snappy

• Limited to Laravel ecosystem
• Depends on KnpLabs/snappy as a core dependency
• May have slower update cycles compared to the core Snappy library

Code Comparison

laravel-snappy:

use Barryvdh\Snappy\Facades\SnappyPdf;

$pdf = SnappyPdf::loadView('pdf.invoice', $data);
return $pdf->download('invoice.pdf');

snappy:

use Knp\Snappy\Pdf;

$snappy = new Pdf('/usr/local/bin/wkhtmltopdf');
$snappy->generateFromHtml('<h1>Bill</h1><p>You owe me money, dude.</p>', '/tmp/bill-123.pdf');

The laravel-snappy example demonstrates the use of Laravel facades and integration with Laravel's view system, while the snappy example shows direct usage of the library without Laravel-specific features.

Both libraries serve the purpose of generating PDFs, with laravel-snappy providing a more Laravel-friendly approach and snappy offering a framework-agnostic solution. The choice between them depends on whether the project is Laravel-based and if the additional Laravel integration is beneficial for the specific use case.

Pros of dompdf

• Pure PHP solution, no external dependencies required
• Easier to set up and use in PHP environments
• Better support for CSS styling and layout

Cons of dompdf

• Slower performance for large or complex documents
• Limited support for advanced PDF features
• May struggle with certain fonts or complex layouts

Code Comparison

dompdf:

require_once 'dompdf/autoload.inc.php';
$dompdf = new Dompdf();
$dompdf->loadHtml($html);
$dompdf->render();
$dompdf->stream("document.pdf");

Snappy:

use Knp\Snappy\Pdf;
$snappy = new Pdf('/path/to/wkhtmltopdf');
$snappy->generateFromHtml($html, '/path/to/output.pdf');

Key Differences

• dompdf is a pure PHP solution, while Snappy relies on wkhtmltopdf
• Snappy generally offers better performance and rendering quality
• dompdf provides more extensive CSS support
• Snappy has better support for JavaScript and complex layouts
• dompdf is easier to set up in PHP-only environments
• Snappy requires additional system dependencies

Use Cases

• Choose dompdf for simpler PDF generation tasks in PHP-only environments
• Opt for Snappy when dealing with complex layouts, JavaScript, or high-volume PDF generation

Pros of TCPDF

• Pure PHP implementation, no external dependencies required
• Extensive feature set for complex PDF generation
• Supports a wide range of fonts and encodings

Cons of TCPDF

• Steeper learning curve due to its complexity
• Can be slower for simple PDF generation tasks
• Larger codebase, which may impact performance

Code Comparison

TCPDF:

$pdf = new TCPDF();
$pdf->AddPage();
$pdf->SetFont('helvetica', '', 12);
$pdf->Cell(0, 10, 'Hello, World!', 0, 1);
$pdf->Output('example.pdf', 'F');

Snappy:

$snappy = new Pdf('/path/to/wkhtmltopdf');
$snappy->generateFromHtml('<h1>Hello, World!</h1>', 'example.pdf');

Key Differences

Snappy is a wrapper for wkhtmltopdf, which converts HTML to PDF using WebKit. It's simpler to use for basic PDF generation from HTML content. TCPDF, on the other hand, is a more comprehensive PDF library that offers greater control over PDF creation and manipulation but requires more code for basic tasks.

Snappy is ideal for quickly generating PDFs from existing HTML, while TCPDF is better suited for creating complex, customized PDF documents from scratch or when fine-grained control over PDF elements is needed.

Pros of mpdf

• Native PHP implementation, no external dependencies required
• Extensive support for CSS and HTML, including advanced features like tables and forms
• Ability to generate PDFs from HTML strings or files

Cons of mpdf

• Slower performance compared to Snappy, especially for large documents
• Limited support for JavaScript and dynamic content
• May produce larger file sizes for complex documents

Code Comparison

mpdf:

$mpdf = new \Mpdf\Mpdf();
$mpdf->WriteHTML('<h1>Hello World</h1>');
$mpdf->Output('document.pdf', 'F');

Snappy:

$snappy = new Knp\Snappy\Pdf('/path/to/wkhtmltopdf');
$snappy->generateFromHtml('<h1>Hello World</h1>', 'document.pdf');

Both libraries offer straightforward ways to generate PDFs from HTML. mpdf uses a native PHP approach, while Snappy relies on the wkhtmltopdf binary.

mpdf provides more fine-grained control over PDF generation and supports a wider range of HTML and CSS features. However, Snappy leverages the power of wkhtmltopdf, which can offer better performance and more accurate rendering of complex web pages.

The choice between these libraries depends on specific project requirements, such as performance needs, deployment constraints, and the complexity of the HTML content being converted to PDF.

Pros of PHPWord

• Offers more comprehensive document creation and manipulation capabilities
• Supports a wider range of document formats (DOCX, RTF, ODT, HTML)
• Provides extensive formatting options for text, paragraphs, and styles

Cons of PHPWord

• Steeper learning curve due to more complex API
• Larger library size and potentially higher resource usage
• May be overkill for simple document generation tasks

Code Comparison

PHPWord:

$phpWord = new \PhpOffice\PhpWord\PhpWord();
$section = $phpWord->addSection();
$section->addText('Hello World!');
$writer = \PhpOffice\PhpWord\IOFactory::createWriter($phpWord, 'Word2007');
$writer->save('helloWorld.docx');

Snappy:

use Knp\Snappy\Pdf;
$snappy = new Pdf('/path/to/wkhtmltopdf');
$snappy->generateFromHtml('<h1>Hello World</h1>', 'helloWorld.pdf');

PHPWord is more suited for creating complex Word documents with advanced formatting, while Snappy excels at generating PDFs from HTML content. PHPWord offers greater control over document structure and content, but Snappy provides a simpler API for quick PDF generation from existing HTML.